Kilimanjaro 2016.10 Dispatches

Our Kilimanjaro climb concluded as we just arrived back in Arusha, Tanzania. We had a fantastic adventure on Mount Kilimanjaro, culminating in our summit of the peak on October 6th. All members of our team reached the top of the mountain, this was a magical moment as the sun rose over the plains below, and the weather was perfect! This was especially appreciated by our group as we had a couple of days of inclement earlier in the climb. We had the appropriate clothing and equipment to wear in the rain, hail, and snow, but it was still challenging weather conditions to climb in. Our climbers pulled together and supported one another as we climbed higher on the mountain throughout the week, and especially on summit day as we left our high camp at midnight and climbed through the dark, to reach the summit of Uhuru peak at 6 AM. All members are now on their way home now or spending a few days on safari here in Tanzania, savoring the experience of reaching the roof of Africa! –Garrett Madison

At 11:30pm last night our Kilimanjaro team departed for the Roof of Africa and made it to the summit at 6am for a beautiful sunrise. After a safe descent the team is now resting at lower elevation enjoying a well deserved hot-tub at the resort. Way to go team!

Today is Wednesday, October 5th and we had a great day today, beautiful weather and sunny skies as we climbed from Karanga Camp up to our high camp at Kosovo on Kilimanjaro. It was wonderful after yesterday’s rain and clouds to have such a beautiful day today. We were able to see the cloud layer well below us and everybody on the team is doing great and feeling strong. We are very lucky to be able to go for the summit tonight when everyone is feeling well and the good weather and route conditions. We have our fingers crossed that the weather holds and we make it to the top tomorrow morning. We will be checking in tomorrow, stay tuned! -Garrett Madison
Start: Karanga Camp, 13,220’
Finish: Kosovo Camp, 15,700’
Distance Traveled: 3.5 miles

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To monitor our climbing team’s route to the summit you can view our LIVE RainOn mapping platform here.

After breakfast we left Barranco Camp and began our ascent of the Great Barranco wall! This scramble provided us with a great acclimatization workout as we topped out at 14,500’ with spectacular views of the clouds below! Then we descend to the Karanga river and hiked up a short distance to Karanga camp. Team had some rain today but team is dry and excited for the ascent to high camp tomorrow. – Garrett Madison

Today we left Shira Camp and traversed the mountain, working our way up to the base of “Lava Tower” at approximately 14,800 ft. Lava Tower is a fun scramble up with great views from the top! After lunch we then descended down to Barranco Camp. The weather today was mostly cloudy with a few patches of sun. From our camp we have a great view of the Great Barranco wall, our challenge for tomorrow morning!
-Garrett Madison

Today our Kilimanjaro team left Machame Camp and trekked through a hail storm before reaching the warm shelter of their next camp. Garrett and team are now enjoying a beautiful night under the stars where they can see the impressive Milky Way Galaxy. Onward!

Today is Saturday October 1 and our team is currently preparing to leave Arusha, Tanzania where they will travel by car to the Machame entrance (5,900 feet) and begin the adventure through the lush forests. After a nice trek through the jungle our team will arrive at Machame Camp (9,950′). Our climbers will trek alongside local Tanzanian guides and explore the rich culture of Tanzania.

Climbers from around the world are in route for Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania! Our team’s route up Kilimanjaro, the Machame, will be a non technical adventure through five very distinctive climate zones, allowing ample time for acclimatization. Our team will ascend Kilimanjaro in style, enjoying the incredible views, camaraderie, and sense of accomplishment in climbing one of the famed “7 Summits” at an elevation of 5,895m / 19,341ft

On this great adventure we will have Fred, Dante, Stefano, Ken, Joao, Braulio, Jayme, Petr and Garrett joining us. To the top team!